"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men."

Dreaming big is about aiming high and thinking beyond the ordinary. It’s about setting goals that are so ambitious and grand that they capture the imagination and inspire action. Small dreams, on the other hand, often lack the appeal or excitement to truly motivate you or others.

This sentiment has been echoed throughout history by many visionaries. When was this idea first popularized? It’s often attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German writer and statesman from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a man of many talents—poet, playwright, novelist, scientist—and his life itself was a testament to the power of dreaming big. The context of his era was one of great scientific discovery and artistic revolution, and his words were a call to push boundaries and strive for greatness.

Now, think about Elon Musk. Here’s a guy who takes this idea to heart. He didn’t just dream of making a better car; he envisioned a future where electric cars dominate the roads. He didn’t just think about launching satellites; he dreamed of making space travel as common as flying on a plane. SpaceX, Tesla, and his other ventures are all about big dreams. Imagine if he had settled for smaller goals—perhaps just improving existing car batteries a little or making marginally cheaper rocket launches. Would that have sparked the same excitement and action? Probably not. His ambitious dreams are what moved people to invest their time, money, and energy into his vision.

So how can you apply this wisdom? Start by allowing yourself to dream without constraints. Don’t limit your imagination by what seems immediately possible. Write down your biggest, wildest dreams. Then, break them down into actionable steps. Even if you can't achieve the ultimate goal right away, the journey towards it will be filled with powerful learning experiences and smaller victories that are incredibly motivating.

Let’s say you’re passionate about writing. Don’t just aim to write a book; dream of becoming a best-selling author who changes lives with your stories. Picture your novel being translated into multiple languages, maybe even adapted into a movie. This big dream will drive you through late nights of writing, endless drafts, and rejection letters. It’s the vision of that far-reaching impact that will keep you going when the going gets tough.

Imagine a scenario: You’re at your favorite coffee shop, chatting with a friend about your career aspirations. Your friend shares that they want to start a small bakery. Now, you could encourage them to think bigger. What if instead of just a single bakery, they dreamed of a chain of eco-friendly artisanal bakeries that sourced ingredients locally and supported community farmers? That’s a vision that could attract investors, inspire employees, and draw in customers who feel like they’re part of something larger than just buying a loaf of bread.

Dreams have this incredible power to move us, to push us forward. When they’re big, they can pull in a community, create a following, and change the world. So, don’t hold back. Dream big, because those are the dreams that will inspire you and everyone around you.